Dr. Weltman Donates Grand Piano for Cooley Center

Dr. Robin Weltman (seated) donated a baby grand piano to UTHealth for the Cooley Center. Accepting the gift on behalf of the university is Executive Vice President Kevin Dillon. Photo by Brian Schnupp.

To celebrate her graduation from dental school, Dr. Robin Weltman’s husband surprised her with a curious present – a baby grand piano. She had taken clarinet lessons when she was younger, loved music and had long wanted to learn to play the piano.

Students: Register by Jan. 22 for Competition

All participants get a great experience, plus medals to wear at graduation. Dental students can get elective credit.

Helping Alzheimer’s patients will be the focus of this year’s Geriatric Interdisciplinary Student Competition, an annual contest in which students from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and other institutions team up to improve elder care. The deadline to register as a contestant is Jan. 22.

The competition is open to those in the final year of their graduate or undergraduate programs at UTHealth, including dental and dental hygiene students (dental students can get credit for an elective by participating). The teams will present their projects to a panel of judges on April 22 and will be evaluated on both content and evidence of interdisciplinary cooperation.

Teams compete for first-, second- and third-place prizes. All participants receive certificates and medallions to wear at graduation.

Dental hygiene students interested in registering should contact Professor Donna Warren-Morris, RDH, MEd, of the Department of Periodontics and Dental Hygiene. Dental students should contact Associate Professor June Sadowsky, DDS, MPH, of the Department of General Practice and Dental Public Health.

The University of Texas School of Dentistry has donated 13 Adec A-500 dental chairs and 26 dental stools to San José Clinic, helping the organization fulfill its mission of providing health care to the low-income and uninsured community. The chairs and stools were among the newest in the old Dental Branch Building when the school moved to a new building in summer 2012.

The donated chairs and stools have replaced mismatched equipment and enabled operatory uniformity, making easier work for SJC volunteers and staff. Read more

California Dental Board President Is UTSD Alumna

Huong Le, DDS '84

A 1984 graduate of The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston has been elected president of the California Dental Board. Huong Le, DDS, is the first public health dentist to serve as president and the first person of Vietnamese origin to serve on the dental board.

Originally appointed to the dental board in 2009 by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Le was elected president in December 2012. She is currently serving her second term, which will expire in 2015. Read more

AEGD Employee Earns Certification

Ida Joiner

Ida Joiner, dental assistant II in The University of Texas School of Dentistry’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry/General Practice Residency Program, is now a certified dental assistant, having completed the required academic studies and 36 months of work experience. She has been with UTSD for two years and with UTHealth since November 2001. Read more

Faculty, A&P Workers' Financial Disclosures Due March 1

All faculty and administrative and professional (A&P) employees are required to submit a financial disclosure to the university each year. Read more

Twenty-six students, residents, faculty and staff members of The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston volunteered to provide oral health screenings and information at the recent Education & Health Expo: For a Better Education held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The event was sponsored by FamiliesEmpowered, Children at Risk and Univision. Read more

Seven dental hygiene students from The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston volunteered at a health fair sponsored by the Ibn Sina Foundation on Dec. 8, where low-income families were provided with free services such as immunizations, flu shots, diabetic screening and education; oral cancer and caries screening; and oral health instructions.

The students helped by setting up the rooms, providing oral hygiene instructions and assisting four registered dental hygienists and two volunteer dentists. The students also taught correct brushing techniques, flossing, and explained how cavities are formed and prevented. Read more

eFlash! is a publication produced by The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston.